Benefits of Baking Holiday Cookies with your Child

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Judy here, back with another feeding therapy tip! Many families like baking cookies from scratch around the holidays - perhaps it's something you did with your family growing up, and hopefully you have positive memories of the experience! 

Did you know that baking holiday cookies is also an amazing sensory, fine/large motor, and life skill activity that I actually use with some feeding therapy clients? Check out these images of me doing this with a client! 

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Baking cookies from scratch can be especially helpful for kids who hate touching gooey textures or getting their hands messy.

A few tips:

• Be careful with electronics (hand blender) and heat (oven). Above all else, safety is important!
• Your child doesn't have to do every step - perhaps have them do one or two things.
• If it is safe for them, let them be independent (for at least part of the time) doing that activity. Yes, it will be imperfect...but that's how they learn!
• Expect - and embrace - the mess. Flour will get everywhere, guaranteed.
• Feel free to use natural dyes/toppings if desired, and modify for food allergies. There are so many allergen-free sugar cookie recipes on the internet if you need to modify for your family!
• Not a scratch baker? Buy a tube of dough and let your kiddo experiment from there. No judgment, friend. Enjoy the experience with your kids!

Activities you can give your child to do, depending on age and comfort level:

• Wash hands and workspace
• Measure ingredients (assisted)
• Pour wet and dry ingredients
• Crack eggs (older toddler)
• Stir and touch dough (if using mixer, toddler can press button)
• Use one hand to hold bowl, other hand to stir
• Pick up and carry a bowl
• Press down on cookie cutter
• Handle delicate food (hold cookies and place on sheet)
• Use a spatula to transfer once cookies are cooled (assisted)
• Frost cookies using butter knife
• Add decorations and eat!

How can you make this a success?

• Wash your hands! Remind your child that we always wash hands before handling food.
• Introduce the dry and wet ingredients (and tools, toppings) to your child so they know what to expect.
• Assist your child with the activities above as necessary - you can use the hand-over-hand technique for the rolling pin. Let them interact with the wet and dry ingredients (we recommend not tasting until they're cooked, but do what you feel comfortable with).
• Bake! Watch their anticipation as they see the cookies puff up in the oven (use the oven light). Talk about heat safety when you pull them out and let them cool.
• Frost and eat! This is where the mess factor is high. Yes, some sugar is ok! (Check out our post on sugar). ​

You can start baking with kids starting at 16 to 18 months old, or even younger if your child is interested! They will be touching (and eventually eating) various textures, which makes great sensory play. Your child will also be practicing fine and large motor development, math, communication/language, following directions/sequencing, and patience. Most of all, you are encouraging independence, a love for cooking, and making memories as a family!

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